


i’ll reach for your hand (and convince you that you’re not completely alone)

by BloodRaven55



Category: RWBY
Genre: Comedy, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, One Shot, Spoilers: RWBY, Spoilers: Volume 6 (RWBY), Spoilers: v6e12 Seeing Red, also i didn't tag oscar and maria cause they're there but only briefly, and no points for guessing what i based the plot of tryst in the mist off of it's way too obvious :D, i just wanted to write about the gang hanging out and being cute okay, i tagged bumbleby and renora cause they're definitely there but the ships aren't the focus really, yeah don't read this if you haven't seen ep 12 yet it picks up right after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 04:19:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17542556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodRaven55/pseuds/BloodRaven55
Summary: With the Leviathan and the rest of the Grimm defeated, Argus is safe again, so the gang decide to take a night off before travelling on to Atlas.a.k.a. Group Bonding™, minor family drama, aTryst in the Mist,and a lil' Bumbleby and Renora on the side.





	i’ll reach for your hand (and convince you that you’re not completely alone)

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics I used as the title are from the song [Reasons by Beth Crowley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LARLZSoXpbE). (I mostly envision it as a Bees song but it worked for the theme of support in this piece so I used it anyway :D)
> 
> I blame this story's existence entirely on the posts I saw on Tumblr pointing out the movie posters in Argus foreshadowing plot points and the _Tryst in the Mist_ poster that hasn't yet become relevant in the show. Then it just kinda spiralled from that into 5k words of group fluff, and I figured I'd put it out there before the finale wrecks us all and invalidates this entire thing :D
> 
> Anyway, I love one (1) hot mess gang of Hunters and Huntresses (my babies are trying their best, Rooster Teeth, please let them rest soon) and I felt like writing some of the RWBY characters and dynamics that I hadn't tried before, so let me know if anyone feels a little off cause that's probably why.
> 
> Lastly, I just want to note that I have no personal experience with PTSD, abusive relationships, alcoholism, or any of the other horrible things these characters have gone through, so I sincerely apologise if I misrepresent anything. It's not my intention, so please feel free to (politely) let me know if anything's wrong :)
> 
> Enjoy!

It was a long time before Blake’s tears ran dry— long enough that she almost felt as though she had forgotten how to do anything but cry. Her partner had simply pulled her close again, letting her bury her face in her neck as she let go of emotions that had been trapped inside her for weeks and months and _years,_ and Yang was so warm and so _safe_ that she couldn’t possibly keep it all from spilling over.

It was _over._

Adam was gone.

His blood was on her hands.

For as long as she could remember he had been a shadow over any light in her life, a noose around her neck that only tightened the harder she tried to free herself. Even when she had left him, he had never left her. His presence lingered in the rising apprehension she felt every time someone paid her the slightest attention, the poisonous guilt every time she spoke to a human, the sick shame every time she had looked into a mirror and seen the bow hiding her true identity.

He had twisted her admiration until she believed it to be love, violated and stolen everything that was important to her until she trusted that she had deserved none of it, preyed on her insecurities until the voice calling her _traitor_ and _coward_ was her own instead of his.

He had undermined her judgement until the only person she was capable of judging was herself.

But he had been _wrong._ And what he had done to her couldn’t have been further removed from what she shared with the woman holding her now - the woman who had always seen _all_ of who she was and not simply _what_ she was. Who had begged her to rest when she was driving herself past her limits in a futile attempt at self-flagellation. Who had trusted that _you’re not one to back down from a challenge, Blake_ when she had thought that all she ever did was run away. Who had faced _her_ demon in order to protect her and chosen to shoulder the burden of taking a life so that she wouldn’t have to bear it alone.

Gods, she had _killed_ someone.

“I know, Blake,” Yang said, voice low and soft and more comforting than she deserved, and Blake realised that she must have spoken out loud. “But it _wasn’t your fault._ He was never going to leave us alone, and if— if we hadn’t he would have… I— I _couldn’t_ lose you again.”

“I wasn’t going to let that happen. Even if I h-had to— he didn’t give me a choice. He _never_ gave me a choice.”

Yang pulled back to look into her eyes again, a hand cupping Blake’s jaw to emphasise her words.

“No, but _you_ gave _him_ a choice. He didn’t have to hurt you, but he did. And I know he’s not just going to disappear, but you’re safe now and— and I promise that I’ll be here. For whatever you need.”

Yang’s lips pressed against her forehead in the most tender affection she had ever received, and Blake believed her. Even in death, Adam had left them with more scars, but she wasn’t alone this time— neither of them were alone this time.

“I know you will.”

The sudden ringing of Yang’s scroll shattered the moment, and her partner jerked back, fumbling to retrieve it from her pocket before answering the call and pressing it to her ear.

“Weiss! Is everyone okay?!”

Even with her above-average hearing Blake couldn’t quite make out Weiss’ response, but Yang grimaced and Blake assumed their teammate had a few choice words to say about their disappearance in the middle of a mission.

“I can explain, but it’s a long story and— you didn’t answer my question, Weiss! Is everyone okay?”

Blake felt worry start to build in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it down, trusting that Weiss would have told them if anything was seriously wrong.

“Weiss? Weiss, _wait_ —” Yang lowered her scroll with a growl of frustration. “I don’t believe that woman... She actually hung up on me!”

Blake couldn’t help but laugh at Yang’s indignation, even though the situation was far from amusing. “What did she say? Are they in trouble?”

“I’m not sure. But she did say that they’re on their way to us so we should stay put until they get here. I don’t know how long they’ll be, though, so I guess we’d better get comfortable.”

The comment prompted Blake to notice the growing pain in her legs from so long kneeling on the ground, and a minute later they were sitting side by side facing the waterfall instead, legs stretched out in front of them in an effort to prevent their overworked muscles from cramping up. Blake couldn’t hide the shiver that ran through her as the bitter chill of the winter air finally hit her bare arms, Yang’s warmth no longer close enough to protect her.

She nearly jumped in surprise as a weight settled across her shoulders, and when she looked up she realised it was Yang’s jacket. She pulled it tighter around her body, too tired to refuse the comfort it brought, and she could faintly detect the familiar scent of citrus and gunpowder that she had come to associate with her partner.

“Th-thanks.” She could have blamed the catch in her voice on the cold lingering against her skin, but it would have been a lie.

“No problem.” If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn that Yang was blushing.

After a while she wasn’t even registering the temperature anymore, but she was still shaking slightly, the strands of pain and stress and _relief_ tangling together until she couldn’t pick them apart. She shifted just a fraction nearer to Yang— to her haven from the mess of emotions beating in her chest.

Yang’s hand moved to rest over her own in the space between them, and Blake intertwined their fingers, determined to enjoy the peaceful stillness before they were dragged back into the chaos of trying to save the world.

It felt like they waited forever, even though according to Yang’s scroll it was only half an hour, but eventually their friends arrived. Blake was pleased to see everyone mostly unharmed, although the sight of Qrow supporting Ruby was alarming until their leader gave them a weak thumbs up. The reassuring gesture didn’t keep Yang from pulling her sister into a bone-crushing hug as the rest of the group took turns filling her and Blake in on their fight with Cordovin’s mech and the Leviathan and the horde of other Grimm and the blast from Ruby’s silver eyes that had turned them into stone and— Blake couldn’t quite follow the rest, something about _the racist old lady finally pulling her head out of her ass_ and that they’d be taking an airship to Atlas. It was a lot to process, but if it meant that they wouldn’t have to fight anything in the foreseeable future then she was more than satisfied.

“May I finally ask what was so important that you two had to miss such an epic adventure?” Weiss levelled them with a glare, and Yang glanced at Blake, wordlessly asking how much they should tell them.

“We were attacked by my delusional, abusive, psychotic ex.”

The only sound was the dull roar of the wind as the others stared at them in a mixture of horror and disbelief.

“Did you at least break their legs?”

Blake shouldn’t have been taken off guard by the question considering it came from Nora, but it still took her a moment to find the words to answer it.

“Wha— no, we didn’t break his legs. But he— he’s gone. So it won’t be a problem anymore.”

The unspoken implication settled over them, and not even Nora had anything to say to that.

Weiss looked from Blake to Yang and back again, her eyebrows pulling down into a frown. “Yang, why is she wearing your jacket?”

“B-because it’s cold and she lost her coat—”

“How did you _lose_ your coat? Were you not _wearing it?_ ”

“I mean, it was white and it fell into the snow...”

Most of the group laughed at that, and even Blake had to admit it was a little funny. Weiss gave the two of them one more almost suspicious look before turning and heading back in the direction the group had come from.

“Are we going to stand around here all day or are we going to where there are beds and central heating?”

* * *

The walk back to Argus was long and tiring, and by the time they were at the street where Saphron and Terra lived Blake was ready to do anything that didn’t involve moving.

“I think we could all use some relaxation before we press on with our mission—”

Blake internally thanked Ren for making such an excellent suggestion, but Nora interrupted him by grabbing his arm excitedly, somehow still somewhat energetic even if she was more subdued than usual after the events of the past few days.

“Oh, I know what we should do!” she proclaimed confidently, and everyone else shared an apprehensive look, wondering what kind of crazy suggestion was sure to follow.

“Actually, Nora, I was thinking of sleep...” Ren began, but he trailed off as his partner did her best impression of a kicked puppy.

“But sleeping’s boring!” she protested. “Besides, we need to celebrate our victory before we leave for Atlas. There’s a cinema somewhere here, we should go see a film! It could be like a movie night, except not really ‘cause we’re going out not staying in, but— oh, I know, it could be a group bonding activity! Can we? _Please?_ ”

For a moment it seemed like Ren wouldn’t give in, but then Nora pulled out all the stops, putting on her most imploring expression, and Blake could practically see his resistance crumbling.

“It _would_ be nice to spend some time together without the threat of imminent death. But maybe you should ask the others what they think too.” 

“It’s a great idea! It’ll be just like when we used to hang out at Beacon!” Ruby was almost vibrating with excitement, so closely resembling a child who’d just received a lifetime supply of free cookies that it was nearly impossible to remember the mature and tactical leader that she was in battle.

“I’m game if everyone else is.” Yang reached over to ruffle her sister’s hair, laughing when Ruby shoved her away with what could only be described as an undignified squawk and tried in vain to fix her fringe.

“Sure, why not?” Blake agreed, the affectionate interaction bringing a smile to her face despite her exhaustion. The immense pride Yang felt for Ruby had been one of the first things Blake had noticed when they met, and it was one of the reasons she’d chosen Yang as her partner. She had hoped that maybe someone with such a big heart, who was capable of caring so deeply for the people around her, would be someone she could feel safe with— someone she wouldn’t regret trusting.

She hadn’t been disappointed.

“I suppose there are worse ways to pass the time.” Weiss’ words couldn’t have been more disinterested, but the warmth of her tone ruined any aloofness she might have managed to project.

“I wonder what’s on? I hope there’s something with plenty of action…” Jaune’s eyes glazed over as he pictured whatever grand battle was playing in his mind’s eye, and Blake grimaced at the prospect of spending two whole hours suffering through excessive explosions and inordinate amounts of property damage that still wouldn’t be enough to disguise a generic and contrived plot with no literary merit whatsoever.

“Actually, if it's okay I think I'll pass.” Eight pairs of eyes turned to him, and Oscar rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I'm really tired, and—”

“I might join you.” Maria tapped the edge of one of her eyes, muttering angrily under her breath when it still refused to focus properly. “After all, there's not much point watching a film when you can't even see what's happening two feet in front of you.”

“I guess we'll see you guys later then.”

Oscar made to leave, but he froze in place when Ruby asked him to wait and sped forward to hug him. “There, now you have one good night’s sleep guaranteed.”

She let him go after a few seconds, and he managed a smile. “I'm not sure that's a thing, Ruby.”

She laughed nervously. “Well, it always worked when Yang did it for me.”

Blake shot her partner a questioning look, and Yang sighed before moving closer to speak so that only the two of them could hear. “She used to have nightmares all the time... about Summer. So I told her that if you give someone a hug before they go to sleep then they can't have bad dreams. But I didn't think she'd still believe it now.”

Blake felt like her heart had melted in her chest. Every time she thought she understood how much Yang cared for Ruby - how far she had gone to ensure her little sister received the carefree, loving childhood that she had never got to have herself - something like this would blindside her and remind her of just how selfless her partner truly was.

With a wave, Oscar and Maria started towards Saphron and Terra’s house, and Ruby watched them go until they disappeared from sight.

“What about you, Uncle Qrow?” She turned to look at him with a hopeful expression, and after a moment's hesitation he shrugged.

“I guess I could make time to show you kids the true cinema experience.”

Yang scoffed. “Oh please, you get caught every time!”

He crossed his arms with a huff, staring her down. “That’s rich coming from the genius who got us kicked out because she couldn’t keep quiet.”

“That only happened once!” Yang was quick to protest her innocence, glaring at him when he merely rolled his eyes in response. “And it wasn’t my fault the movie was boring.”

“Sure, sure. But I think you’re forgetting—”

Thankfully, Weiss interrupted before he could get another jab in, clearing her throat loudly as she looked on in exasperation. “Do I even want to know what you two are fighting about?”

“Yang and Uncle Qrow used to make bets on who could smuggle more food in whenever we went to the cinema,” Ruby explained. “But neither of them ever won because they were always found out before we even made it into the screen.”

“Hey!” Yang and Qrow turned on her in perfect synchronisation, swiftly uniting against the common enemy who had made such a terrible assault on their honour.

Meanwhile, Weiss seemed utterly unable to comprehend the scene that was unfolding in front of her. “Is there a single person in your family capable of behaving like a responsible adult?” All three of them opened their mouths to answer, but she held up a hand to cut them off. “On second thought, never mind. I think I already know the answer.”

Ever the mediator, Ren took it upon himself to step in before the unstoppable force that was the Branwen-Rose-Xiao Long family could meet the immovable object that was Weiss Schnee and start a war that would last all night. “We should probably get moving if we want to make it in time for the last showings.”

“Finally, another voice of reason!” As he’d hoped, Weiss’ rationality won out over her pride, and she backed down somewhat gracefully.

At last the group began to head in what they were fairly sure was the direction of the cinema, and Blake found herself walking next to her partner.

“Is your family always like this?” She was genuinely curious; it was difficult to rationalise the comfortable teasing and playful bickering within the context of her own totally different experience. She'd felt a lot closer to her parents since she’d returned home, but there had still been a lingering tension at times, and in a way she was almost envious of the easy dynamic that Yang had with her sister and uncle.

“Not all the time, no.” Yang grinned and leaned in towards her like she was about to share some incredible secret. “It’s even crazier when my dad’s around.”

Blake laughed; she should have known better than to expect a serious answer. Her partner was generally a very open person, but with the exception of Ruby Yang rarely seemed to want to discuss her family. Blake might still feel a little awkward around her parents, but at least her relationship with them was straightforward. On the other hand - based on what little Yang had told her and what little more she had gleaned from Ruby - she got the impression that her teammates’ situation was anything but.

Raven’s absence, Summer’s death, Taiyang’s grief-fuelled negligence, the flask in Qrow’s pocket - for better or for worse, they had all left their mark on Yang in one way or another, and Blake was reminded that underneath the veneer of simplicity her partner’s life was far more complicated than it first appeared.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

Understandably, Yang looked very confused at the sudden declaration. But more than that she seemed almost uncomfortable. “Thanks… I think?”

Something about the idea that Yang was so unused to receiving praise she had more than earned nagged at Blake, and she pressed on, sensing that her partner had needed to hear this for a very long time.

“No, I mean it. You’re kind, and smart. You’re _far_ too selfless, and you’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. To be honest, part of me wishes that I was more like you.”

“Blake…” There was pain on Yang’s face, and more than a little shock, but there was also gratitude, and she knew they’d been the right words.

Yang looked like she wanted to say something in response, and Blake waited patiently, but when the words didn’t come she decided not to push it. She inclined her head towards where the others were already almost at the end of the road.

“Come on, before they leave us behind.”

She held out her hand, and Yang stared at it for a long moment but then she took it, letting Blake lead her as they ran to catch up to their friends.

“Ruby,” Weiss was saying as they came into earshot of the group, “as the best teammate you will ever have, as your partner, as your friend… I have a very serious request to make.”

Their leader gave her a solemn nod, waiting to hear what it was that could be so important.

“ _Please_ do not, under any circumstances, for _any_ reason, allow your sister to choose the movie like you did last time. I do not wish to ever see anything so shameless again in my life.”

Weiss was evidently deadly serious, her expression grim as she stared deep into her partner’s eyes as if it would help to convey the gravity of the issue at hand.

“I’m very surprised to hear you say that—” Weiss must have jumped almost two feet into the air as Yang’s voice suddenly appeared directly behind her. “—considering the fact that you spent the whole of said movie drooling over the lead actor’s abs.”

Blake didn’t usually go along with her partner’s teasing, but an opportunity to beat Yang at her own game had opened up right in front of her, and she couldn’t resist taking it.

“And I’m surprised you even remember how much Weiss was ogling him, Yang—” Yang shot her a confused look, and Blake delivered the killing blow with a smirk. “—considering the fact that _you_ were far too busy staring at his love interest to notice anything else.”

Yang’s reaction was priceless. Her facial journey was a little like watching a slot machine in a casino as her expression spun through shock that Blake had not only gone toe to toe with her but _won,_ and betrayal that her own partner would use such underhanded tactics against her, before finally landing on awe that Blake had bested her so easily.

Yang took her hand and shook it firmly, graciously accepting her defeat. “Well played, partner. Well played.”

“I guess you could say that the cat got your tongue, Yang.” The entire group froze in shock. Dead silence reigned.

And then Ruby broke, howling with laughter until she was doubled over with the force of it. “Weiss, that was _so bad!_ ” she managed to choke out as she tried desperately to catch her breath.

“But you and Yang make awful jokes all the time! What makes it different when I do it?” The petulant frustration in Weiss’ voice almost made Blake want to laugh as well, but she could hear the undercurrent of genuine disappointment.

She hung back when the others started walking again, catching Weiss’ arm to keep her teammate from following them.

“If it helps, I think you’re just trying too hard. You don’t need terrible puns and cheesy one-liners to make them like you, Weiss. They’re your friends, and so am I. We love you for _you_ … even if you have no sense of humour.”

“You’re a fine one to talk, Miss Tall Dark and Brooding.” The words were soft, without even the slightest edge to them, and Weiss’ hand patted her stiffly on the shoulder. “But thank you. For the advice, _and_ for being my friend… I missed you while you were gone.”

“I missed you too, Ice Queen.”

And she turned to run after the others, smiling as she heard an indignant “Hey!” from somewhere behind her, soon followed by an outraged cry of “Get back here, Belladonna!” as her teammate chased after her.

After more than one wrong turn, which then led to an argument over who was the best at giving directions, the group finally reached the cinema. Inside it was quiet, with only a few other customers buying their tickets, and they headed to check the listings.

The first poster was dismissed as soon as they saw the giant sea monster and the title promising a _Demon in the Deep._

“I don’t think it could compare to fighting the real thi—” Qrow’s amused comment died on his tongue as he caught sight of the next option.

 

_THE FALL OF BEACON_

 

The bold font was too stark against the background, containing none of the vibrant life that had filled the place they’d all once called home. It was almost surreal— to see their visceral trauma displayed on a wall as if it were just another fiction. Their _lives_ made into an exhibit as if countless others hadn’t been lost.

Ruby took a step forward, reaching out to run her fingers over the letters of the title like she was making sure it was truly there.

“Ruby…” Yang looked like she was about to move towards her sister, but Blake rested a hand on her arm, knowing their leader needed to do this on her own.

“No, it’s okay— it’s good.” Ruby turned away from the poster, and there were tears in her eyes but she nodded decisively. “It’s good that people will remember what happened then. That they’ll remember the people who aren’t here now.”

Ren and Nora looked to Jaune and then each other. “Maybe we should—“

“No.” Jaune smiled, and there was only a trace of sadness in it. “She would want us to have fun.”

He didn’t need to say anything more, and they moved on to the final poster to see what they would be watching.

“You have _got_ to be joking!” Weiss grimaced as she took in the clasped hands of the two figures silhouetted against a cascading waterfall, and the dark mood was broken in favour of laughter at her expense.

They bought their tickets, and the man operating the booth looked slightly surprised as he handed them over, no doubt wondering why a group of Hunters and Huntresses would be interested in seeing _Tryst in the Mist._

The auditorium was empty when they went inside, and the opening scene faded in as they chose their seats. They distributed the snacks - legitimately purchased despite Qrow’s protests that he had a bet to win - and settled back to enjoy the grand tale of romance they had been promised.

The film wasted no time revealing who the main couple would be as the protagonist met in secret with a gorgeous man and lamented that they could never openly be together as their families were engaged in a decades-long feud, but the awkward exposition wasn’t what captured the group’s interest.

“Hey, Blake, she kind of looks like you!” There was no way that Ruby meant it as anything other than a harmless observation, and it might have ended up being just that if not for what happened next.

The camera lingered on the face of the film’s designated love interest for the first time, and Nora let out a scandalised gasp. “Oh my stars! Yang, do you have a secret twin brother?!”

“I’m fairly certain Yang would know if she had another sibling, Nora.”

His hair was much shorter and his eyes were a shade lighter, but the resemblance was indeed uncanny, and Yang tilted her head to the side slightly as if a different angle would help her decide whether to be flattered or offended at the comparison.

Meanwhile, Blake was grateful that the darkness of the room would obscure the embarrassment that was surely written plain as day across her face. It only got worse as Yang leaned over to whisper in her ear, the warmth of her breath making Blake shiver despite the extra layer of her partner’s jacket.

“Is he better-looking than me?”

Dust, was Yang trying to make this as mortifying as possible for her?

“W-why are you asking _me?!_ ” Well, that was smooth. But she could still salvage the situation. She just had to be honest but not _too_ honest.

“I dunno. Just curious, I guess.” Was that really all there was to it? She glanced nervously at Yang, trying to figure out what kind of response she was expecting. But her partner’s expression was unreadable, and she decided to go with a fairly safe answer.

“Well, if you really want to know, I think that he is... very muscular. And handsome.”

“Oh. Yeah, I suppose he is.” Yang turned back to the film, and there was something duller about the tone of her voice. Blake couldn’t explain why, but she it made her feel as though she’d done something wrong, and the truth started to spill out before she was aware of what she was saying.

“But I think I’d still have to go with you.” _Abort. Abort. Abort._ “B-because I actually know you. So you win by default against some guy I’ll never even meet.” Did that logic even make sense? Probably not, but at least she hadn’t given too much away.

Yang looked slightly bewildered, but unfortunately for what remained of Blake’s dignity she quickly latched onto the most crucial part.

“So you think I’m more attractive than him.”

“That’s not quite what I sai—”

“Nope, it’s too late to take it back now!” A pleased grin brightened Yang’s features. “But I can’t say I blame you. My nose is nowhere near that crooked, and his ears are way too big!”

Blake breathed a sigh of relief as Yang let her slip of the tongue pass without further comment, her heart rate dropping back to normal as the tension dissipated, and she tried to return her focus to what was happening on the screen.

The group watched the movie in silence for a while, laughing at the improbable contrivances forcing the characters together and groaning whenever the dialogue fell on the wrong side of corny, which predictably was very often.

By the time it was nearing the end Jaune had long since fallen asleep, his drink dangling precariously from his fingers as he snored, and Nora had curled up against Ren, his arm around her shoulders as their joined hands rested in his lap. Blake wondered when they had finally gone from together to _‘together_ -together’, and she felt a pang of something almost like jealousy— not of either of them, but of the connection they so obviously shared.

“Weiss, why are you covering your eyes? This is the best bit!” Ruby’s voice shook her out of her own head, and she looked up to find the two main characters kissing passionately, sunlight glinting off the cascading waterfall behind them in an exact replica of the image from the poster.

“Because I have no desire to watch this kind of scene when the people involved look like my friends! I would have thought you’d find it strange too given how closely he resembles _your_ sister!”

“Don’t be silly, Weiss - they’re only actors! It’s not like we’re gonna walk in on Yang and Blake kissing just because it happened in the film!”

Blake coughed loudly, choking on thin air as she tried to suppress the image that the innocent remark had conjured in her mind, and Weiss glanced over at her before unceremoniously elbowing their leader in the side.

“Ow! What was that for?!” Ruby scowled, but her expression turned to confusion when Weiss calmly stood up from her seat.

“I’ll explain later, but right now I am incredibly tired and would very much like to sleep, so can we please go back to the house?”

“But the movie hasn’t finished—”

“ _Ruby!_ ” Weiss’ tone lowered, the warning forceful enough to make her partner stop talking instantly.

“Okay, fine! But as your leader I demand that you tell me everything tomorrow.” Ruby jabbed a finger threateningly in Weiss’ direction. “And I mean _everything._ I will not tolerate secrets in my team!”

“What secret are you two talking about? Oh, can I guess?! I bet it’s something really obvious, like that Jaune uses four different bottles of hair spray, or that Ren has pink underwear, or that Ruby wants to marry Crescent Rose, or that Blake and Yang are—”

The rest of Nora’s words were promptly muffled by Ren’s hand as it covered her mouth.

“Nora, do you want pancakes?” he asked, and just like that her previous train of thought was forgotten.

“What kind of question is that? Of _course_ I want pancakes!” She shook Jaune awake with a hand on his shoulder, and his drink finally fell to the floor as he reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes. “Jaune, come on! Ren’s going to make pancakes!”

Jaune was clearly far too used to his teammates to question what was happening, and he simply followed them as Nora dragged Ren towards the exit.

Ruby and Weiss made to leave as well, but Ruby hesitated when they reached the end of the row, turning back towards the seats. “Are you coming with us, Uncle Qrow?”

He stood, running a hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes. “I think I’m going to go for a walk. I’ll see you back at the house, kiddo.”

Disappointment was stark on Ruby’s face, but she merely nodded and left to catch up with her partner.

“She looks up to you a lot, you know?” Qrow froze halfway to the opposite exit, and Yang pushed herself up out of her seat as she continued speaking. “I get that all this stuff with Ozpin has been hard on you, but this has to stop. You’re meant to be the adult here, and Ruby has enough to worry about without having to look after you too. I know you’re not trying to hurt her, but she wants to help you and when you don’t let her it makes her feel like it’s her fault. Because she _cares about you,_ and so do I. We’re both here for you if you want to talk, and I can’t force you if you’re not ready, but I _can_ ask you to think about it - not just for yourself, but for Ruby.”

“I will.” He sighed. “Thanks, Yang.”

And then he was gone, leaving only Blake and her partner. Being alone with Yang would usually have put her at ease, but in this case it just made her feel nervous, and she headed for the way out, eager to rejoin the others.

A hand took hold of her wrist and she had to stop herself from flinching. Yang’s grip was sure, but gentle enough that she could easily pull away from it. And that was exactly why she couldn’t.

“Blake, can I talk to you?”

“O-of course.” She turned to face Yang, hoping that the stammer in her voice had gone unnoticed.

“Are you okay? You seemed a bit out of it at the end there, and something tells me it wasn’t because of how riveting the plot was.”

It was difficult to panic in the face of such sincere concern, and Blake relaxed a little, surprised at how easy it was to manage a genuine smile.

“I’m fine, really. The movie just reminded me of a book I read. A _much better_ book I read.”

That wasn’t entirely false; she had merely neglected to mention that the only reason she had mentally compared the less-than-stellar narrative of the film to that particular novel was because in both cases the love interest bore a remarkable similarity to the woman in front of her.

“You promise that’s all it was?” Blake nodded, and Yang’s worry turned to curiosity. “Well, now I’ve gotta know what book could possibly remind you of _that_ and still be good. Mind if I borrow it off you?”

“Sure. On the condition that you actually return it in a timely fashion.”

“Hey! I said I was sorry about that, didn’t I? I would have given the other one back sooner, but Ruby buried it under all her comics and— and you’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

“Maybe.” Blake winked at her, and Yang’s annoyance softened into fondness.

“You know, it’s really hard to be mad at you when you’re like this.”

“Like what?”

“Happy.”

A multitude of replies died on Blake’s tongue, every one of them inadequate, but she was glad to be speechless. It gave her an excuse to take her partner’s hand for the fourth time in as many days - a pattern that she wasn’t eager to break - and leave a piece of the past behind in a small, gloomy cinema in Argus as they walked together into a brighter world outside.

**Author's Note:**

> All thoughts and constructive criticism are very welcome :)
> 
> If I'm honest I think writing this was partially a coping mechanism to deal with whatever the finale brings tomorrow because i'M nOt rEaDy *screams into the void*
> 
> Also rest in pieces, Adam Taurus, no one will miss you. Goatman, you were an utter piece of trash, but at least you canonised Bumbleby in the one worthwhile act of your whole pathetic life :D


End file.
